Reversible ratchet wrench



Patented Sept. 15, 1925.

if) mvrs,y of @sisef/:mg

ILIFORNIA.

fnnviu' garenne' To all 'inkom t may lco'cem I 1" v fi Beit knownthat I,`*JAMES'IF.`D AVIS al citizen of- #the' Unitedl States, residing"at' Stockton, countyV of San `.-T'mulliiii", VState of California, have f-i-ivented certain 'new'andf useful *improvements @fin-'21 a Reversible Ratchet lWrench; fand" I 'do' `declare the' afol# lowinglto lbea full, clear, and exact descrip--' tion of the'same; reference" being had tothe' accompanying drawings, 'and' to the "('hajjrac-s ters' off reference `I'r'iarked thereon, which? form aV 1pm-t ofthrisjappi'cation;fw i

This invention relates to improvements' in' i Wrenches'i and 'particularly to that? typecm;

monly used in" the automotive 7industry and byg mechanics generall- *and which born-l pri'ses'- 'essentially a? etlmember forl the nut r orfl 4br'fIt-lIead, and' a 'brace handle i byI Iflpi'dlyi turned.

@Theprinci 'al object'of myfinventionis' to provide a 1reve'rsiblefAVV ratchet jvvrench :attachment, in `the? formr Aof a f couplingfto Zbef interiosedilrutwfaeiitheE handle and 'socketfmem rs of such Wrenches"andby j'ineans' of which ri ht 'or' left han ratehet'movements of thehand'leI relativeto the' socket may be means 'of which the' socket member may bey had, :or thelsocketfmay turnV Vin runisonYvvith coup1ing,or Wi 1 the handige@wpraaieauyfrigid fpm there;

of.- Thenecessary adjustments 'ItoI enable such diil'erent movements to be had 'may be made" in fan 'instant by the operator, without removing the'socket or hand'le from fthe, thout leven havingto i lremove the socket fromy a nut with' which it 'maybe enga-ged.` l f E' A further objectoffthegirivent'ioniswprople-and 'inexpensive device" and L yet 1one fwh-ich i Will "bei exceedingly `effective forf the purpose for`vvhich it isE designed. f f vThesel objects *I accomplish llcy1Ireans-' of sueh* structure "and -'relative' arrangement "of l parte :asWill-fully.appearE `'byv a 'perusal of E the"follovingspecilcationsind claims? A 'fIn 1 theE drawings 'f similar characters "of refdrance y' indicate correslionding" parts the several views: y l 1 f isa# side view' E(iff the device.' Fig'f isi a similar fvijew; the" control" sleeve bein "fin" sectionyfand showin'gf the' 'f control mem linrpositiontocausethef handle and soket'members te .turnfas-a unit. i

HFi'g's. fand;4lfare/1simlar fvi'ews, showing fthe `centro!member' spebtivelyfcause yleft and right khand ratchet movements f of =lthe handle relative to' theY socket member* being had. v

A Figi '1s afvl'evv similar toFigl 4, but vvithv certain of the other parts ofthe device also iii lSCtilL r-v 1? "u tile'g'fth, 'an preferably cylindrical form, Whose? bfoie, intermediate its'ends, isof' polygonalfsidedfforni; as shvvn jatf`2,vv'hile the endfbqresiare -c'rular 'as sliow'vn-E at' 3, and of somevvhatgrater? diameter than the bore 2. fSlid'b'lyiUmeun/ted in 'the isleeve 1, engaging the bore 2 and somewhat shorter than the samer-is'l a' 'block 45, shaped to' engage` the faces of'v'sa'idlbore,fand'having 'c'ut inits ends, radial and 'oppsi'tely *disposed right and leftf 'hand i rate'het teeth 5 illidir 6 respectively. ff-Mountedf in the sleeve at j"one 'end is a female 'or soeket'niember" 7, 'adapted to removably tontotlie end Vof a standard brace# handleeS-. f

1 The'A outer jporti'onfoffthis memberisy circular ,'nd'- haslbth a? sliding Aand turning fit ber has i'the same polygonal sided contour as the 'central f'bor'e A2' of i the 9;t11e in'nerjend 'of' said ratchety teethV 10ft/d engage sleeve, as shown fat the teeth l iMounted-in'the opposite end of the "sleeveY 1s a male'fniember "11 similartdmeniber 7,

portion 9 havingy buthaving at lits' 'outer end `a` proj ectingboss or 'lug'g12*fadapted'1toV removably fit into a standard'nwrench socket member 13.

The outerfendloffthe menriberl r1l 'has a sliding andturning'fitfinthe"outer bore 3of thel'sleevefwliile f the ffmier portion has the sameiipolygona'lsided contour asthe sleevebore2',1fas fsho'wn at '14, fand) has :atlits inner endratchet 'teethf '15" to engage the adj acent' teeth' 6* of the* member 4. l y

The three members 4, 7 and 11 are perinaently'yetyieldablylconnected together, and

the respeefivefaeuf #normally fheld in 'em gagement, by means v'of a in or bolt 16 passing "eitrally throughT saidj members, one end which'-beltiisl whilfthfhead 17-`enthe othery end is located in an enlarged socket 18 provided in the member 7 a compression spring 19 being about the bolt between the head 17 and the opposite end of the socket 18.

The spring is capable of sufficient play to enable either set of coacting teeth on the various members to snap by each other when the sleeve is positioned relative to said members to allow of rotation ofone of said members relative to the sleeve and central blockv 4 being had. f

To hold the sleeve in denite yet ymovable relation to the members therein, the bores 3 are peripherally grooved 'as at 20 to form seats for spring-pressed balls 21 mounted in the members 7 and 11.

In operation, to use the attachment as a solid wrench, that is with the handle 8 and socket member 13 turning as one, the sleeve 1 is moved to a central `position relative to members `7, 4 and 11, as shown in Figs. 1 and; 2. In this position, not Vonly is the block 4 engaged by the polygonal sided bore 2, but the portions 9 and 14 of thefmembers 7 and 11 are engaged therewith as well, so that the bore 2 forms a loclr between the members 7, 4 and 11, preventingthem from having any turning movement relative to each other, and they m'ust therefore turn as a unit. Y v l If the sleeve is shifted toward the outer end of the member 7 as shown in Fig. 3, the members'7 and 4 are held locked, while the lock-bore 2 is drawn clear of the portion 14 of the member 11, and the latter is thereforefree to turn' relative to the sleeve and central block 4. The member 11 may then be intermittently turned in a continuous lefthand or counter-clockwisev direction with a reciprocating movement of the brace 8.

Similarly, if the sleeve is advanced to- Y ward the outer Send of the member 11 as cure by Letters Patent is:

shown in Fig. 4, the members 4 and 11 are held locked together while the member 7l is free to turn relative to the sleeve and block 4. The member 11 may then be intermittently turned Vin a right hand direction with a reciprocating movement ofthe brace 8.

From the foregoing description it'y will be readily seenthat I have producedsuch a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device,` still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spiritv of the invention, as dened by the appended claims. t

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to se- 1. A reversible A'ratchet wrench attachment comprising separate members adapted to be connected to handle and tool means respectively, a block separable from and interposed therebetween, cooperating rightand left-hand ratchet teeth on the adjacent ends of the members and the block, means connecting said members and block in a manner to yieldably hold all the cooperating teeth thereon in engagement, a sleeve about said members and block and slidable thereon, and means between the sleeve and said members and block whereby adjustment of the sleeve relative thereto will enable the said members and block to be held together to turn as a unit, and also to enable either at a time ofthe members to be held to turn with the block while permitting the other member to turn relative thereto.

2. A reversible ratchet wrench attachment comprising separate members adapted to be connected to handle and tool means respectively, a yblock separable from and interposed therebetween, cooperating rightand left-hand ratchet teeth on the adjacent ends of the members and the block, means connecting said members and block in a manner to yieldably hold all the cooperating teeth thereon in engagement, ya sleeve about said members and block and slidable thereon, the block .being non-turnably mounted in the sleeve, .and means between the sleeve and said members whereby with a certain position of the sleeve relative to the bloclr'both members are held'to turn therewith, and with other positions of the sleeve one or the other only Vof said members is held to turn with the sleeve while the other member may turn relative thereto.

v3. A reversible ratchet wrench attachment comprising separate members adapted to be connected to handle and tool means respectively, an independentrblock therebetween,

cooperating right and left hand ratchet teeth on the adjacent ends of the members and the block, means-connecting said members and block in a manner to yieldably hold the cooperating teeth thereon in engagement, a sleeve about said members and block and slidable thereon, said sleeve having a hollow polygonal portion extending axially therethrough intermediate its ends, said portion being of greater length than the block and the block and the adjacent ends of the members sldablyfitting therein, the latter being turnable in the sleeve bore outwardly of said polygonal portion, whereby when the sleeve ris slid along to move said portion clear ofa member, said member is free to turn relative Vto the'sleeve and block. 1

4. A reversible ratchet wrench comprising separate members adapted to be connected to handleand toolmeans respectively, an i11- dependent yblock therebetween, cooperating` rightand Yleft-hand ratchet teeth .on the adjacent ends of the members and block, spring means yieldably holding the GGO-P- erating teeth in constant engagement, a, sleeve in which the block is slidably but nonturnably mounted, said sleeve extending beyond the block to partially overhang the end members, and means between the sleeve and end members whereby with different adjustments of the sleeve along the block,

the block and end members may turn as a unit, or either at a time of the members may be held to turn with the block while the 10 other member turns relative thereto. K

In testimony whereof I afx my signature.

JAMES F. nAvIsQL 

